The University of the Fraser Valley women's volleyball team delivered a victory for
Janelle Rozema in her Cascades head coaching debut, sweeping the Columbia Bible College Bearcats in three straight sets on Friday as the PACWEST regular season opened.
The hosts had a bit of a nervous start at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre, but pulled away late in the first set to take it 25-18. The second and third sets were all Cascades, as they prevailed 25-13 and 25-10.
"It meant a lot," Rozema said, reflecting on her initial win at UFV. "Being out on the floor for my first home opener as the head coach, it was really cool to feel like I was supported by the fans, supported by my coaching staff, and supported by the girls. It was a really cool atmosphere to be a part of."
The Bearcats built a 15-13 lead in the first set, but Cascades sophomore middle
Sedona Arabsky reeled off a six-point service run to help the host rally for a 22-17 lead and they wrapped things up from there.
UFV was outstanding offensively the rest of the way, hitting .429 and .526 in the second and third sets, respectively.
Third-year left side
Amanda Matsui had a big night, racking up 14 kills on 25 swings.
Kristen McBride and
Chelsea Kidd chipped in with six kills apiece, and Arabsky added five kills. Kidd notched a team-high three aces.
Megan Polant, with eight kills, paced the Bearcats.
"I kind of anticipated a little bit of nerves with the home opener," Rozema noted. "But I was really impressed with the way they stayed patient with their nerves, and they allowed the process of normalizing the atmosphere in the gym. They stuck together, they kept making eye contact, and kept exchanging information, and they remained patient. And then it started getting a little bit freer."
The Cascades volleyball teams are back in action on Saturday as they travel across town for rematches with the Bearcats at Columbia Place (women 6 p.m., men 8 p.m.).
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